Sound-regulator for audible signals.



W. KLINE..

SOUND REGULATOR FOR AUDtBLE SIGNAL'S.l

APPucAnoN HLED mmzz. 1911.

1,260,-549. Panted Mar. 26,1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT QlFlFTQE.

WILLIAM KLINE, Olli' WAYNESBORO, VIEGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM MOORE, OF WASHINGTON, BISTRIC'E' OF (L'OLTJMBIA.

SOUND-REGULATGR FOR AUDIBLE SIGNALS.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, WJLLIAM KLINE, a citizen of the United States, residing` in VVaynesboro, in the county of Augusta and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Sound-Regulators for Audible Signals, of which the fol- 'lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to im arovements in sound regulators for audible signals and is particularly constructed and adapted for the damping, regulating or modulating the intensity of the sound of a telephone call bell.

The objects of my invention are-- First, to construct a device of the character above indicated which can be quickly and readily substituted for the call bells now used on telephone systems, and said substitution can be made without in any way affecting the installation or interrupting the telephone service.

Second, to construct a device of the charaster inclicated, which consists of a minimum number of parts capable of being easily and eheaply manufactured and all the parts are in sight so as to enable the same to be readily inspected, adjusted or repaired.

Third, to construct a device of the character described in which only one movement of the hand or fingers is required to change the tone of the call bell from loud to soft or medium tone, or vice-versa.

Fourth, other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description and mode of Operation hereinafter explained.

The invention consists of Structural characteristics and relative arrangement of the several elements which will be hereinafter Vmore fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference` characters indicate the same parts throughout the several figures;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a telephone call bell boxwith my iinprovements attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary and seetional view online II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention in which spiral gongs are the sound producing elements.

. iReferrng to Eigs.: 1, .2. vand 3, 10 is the Specificaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1917.

Patented Mar. 26, 1918. Serial no. 156,5-18.

usual call bell box which houses the common and well known electro-magneto, not shown, and which are for the purpose of actuatiug or Vibrating the hammer 11 passing through a slot 12 in the upper end of the box 10, all of which form no part of the present invention.

13, 13, are short standards or supports suitably secured to the upper side of the call box 10, and which have their outer or upper ends tapped with threaded sockets 13', 13', as indicated and of the usual construction now employed in this class of devices.

Rotatibly and removably supported on the top of said standards 13, 13l` are bells 14, 14, having central openings 15, through which openings loosely pass screws 16, the threads of which screws eng'age the threaded sockets 13', 13', of the tapped ends of the standards 13, 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. At the upper section or apex of each bell 14, is rigidly secured by riveting or soldering a radial arm or crank 17, and the outer or free ends of said radial arms or cranks 17, 17, are pivotally connected together by a rigid link or rod 18, whereby it will be readily understood that when said rod 18 is reciprocated or moved from one bell toward the other, the bells 14, 14, will be oscillated or partially rotated back and forth on their respective supports or standards 13, 13, for purposes to be hereinafter explained. I

19, 19, are sound dampers or modulators consisting of small thin pieces of fiber,

fibroid leather, felt, paper, celluloid, or other similar and suitable material which are se- Curely fixed in any suitable manner to the outer side of the bells 14, 14, and in juxtaposition to the Vibrating hammer 10, as illustrated, and said sound damper sections 19, 19, may be bowcd at their middle portions, as shown in Fig, 1, so that the center of each of the (lamper sections 19. 19` is slightly removed from the body of the bell 14, therebv providing a small air space between the bell and (lamper for reasons to be presently explained.

Attached to the rod or link 18, is a pointer 20 which coperates with a scale 21. attached to the box casing 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, said scale beingprovided with the letters L, M, and S, for the purposes of indicating the adiusted position of the sound dumper or modulator sections 19, 19, on the rotatable bells 14, 14,!.withrespect to the lpath described by the hammer 10, when Vibrating radially between and normally to the surface of the bells 14.

Screws 21', 21', which secure the scale 21 to the box 10 are engaged by the pointer 20, and act as stops to prevent overth'row of the coperating devices.

22 is a knob 'or button fastened to the upper side of the link or rod 18 which may be gripped by the fingers of a person when it is desired to partially rotate the bells 14, 14, and properly adjust the position of the sound dampcrs or modulators with respect to the hammer 11, as heretofore explained.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of the invention, which in all the essential particulars is the same as that described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with the exception that Spiral 'spring gongs 23, 23, supported from arms 24, v24, are substituted for the bells 14, 14, otherwise the construction and Operation of the two forms are identical.

It will be seen from the foregoing vdisclosure of the invention, that the bells 14, 14 or gongs 23, 23, provided with the sound dampers or modulators 19, 19, together with the arms or cranks 17 17 and link 18, pivotally connected to said arms or cranks 17 17, form a separate article of manufacture and sale, lwhich can be quickly substituted for the bells at present in use for telephone call bells and all that is necessary is to unscrew the screws 16, 16 from the tapped standards 13, 13, remove vthe bells or gongs now in use and properly adjust the bells 14, 14, or gongs 23, 23 connected together ras just described, so that the openings 15, 15 in the bells 14, 14, or arms or cranks 17 17, are in register with the threaded sockets 13', 13', of the tapped standards 13, 13, when lthe screws 16, 16 are passed through the openings 15, 15 and screwed into the sockets 13', 13' until the heads of said screws 16 loosely engage the uppcr surface of the bells 14 or arms 17 as indicated in Fig. 2, when the bells or gongs can be easily partially rotated on the upper ends of their respective Supporting standards 13, when the Connecting link or rod 18 is reciprocated by means of the knob or button 22.

Assuming the parts are adjusted as shown in full lines in Fig. v1, in which the call bells 14 are mufiled for the reason that the Vibratin g hammer V11 will strike the ele vated or arched portions of thepsound damper or modulating sections 19, if it is desired 4to have the call bells 14, 14, produce a slightly louder tone, .the -knob or button 22 is gripp'ed between fthe Ifingers and mov'ed to -the left, until the end of the pointer 20 reaches the .letter M, when by means rofth'e llink 18,

7and .rods `17, 17, connected to said bells .14, v14, said bells 414, 14 are oppositely rotated tbroaghasmall-angleuntfl-theouterends the damper sections 19, 19 connected to and contiguous with the bells 14, 14, are in the path of the hammer 11 when said bells 14, 14, will receive a greater impact and vibration and hence a louder tone will be emitted from the bells. If a still louder tone and usual action or standard tone of the bells is desired, the pointer 20 is shifted to the letter L, on scale 21, as shown in dotted lines in Fig 1, when thedamping or modulating sections 19, 19, on the bells 14 are further rotated and entirely removed from the path described by thc hammer 19, and hence said hammer direcly impinges against the metal of the bells and produces the maximum of Vibration and usual full sound from the call bells. lVhen a subdued and pleasant tone of the bells is again desired, all that is necessaryv is to return the pointer 20 to the letter S, in one movement and Operation and said damper sections 19, 19, will quickly and directly move from thc dotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 1, giving the mft or modulated tone.

From the foregoing description of the construction and Operation of the invention, it will be easily seen that all the objects, advantages and functions of the improvemenls enumerated'in the statement of the invention are fully and eiiciently acoomplished, and many modifications and changes of the different elements will readily Suggest themselves, whereby the damping and modulating element attached to the sound producing device is either within vor without the patdescribed by the hammer, without departing from the essential features of my device or materia-lly changing the Operation of 'the same.

What I claim is 1. A sound regulator for audible signals comprising a vibrating sound producing device, sound damping means attached to a section of said sound producing vdevice, `means for striking and Vibrating said 1.10 sound device, and means for adjusting said .sound damping means within or without the path described by the means for 'striking and Vibrating the sound producing de'vioe.

2. A sound regulator for audible siguals 115 comprising a rotative Vibrating sound .pmducing device, sound damping means attached to a section vof said sound producing device, means for striking a'nd Vibrating said sound producing device. and means ifor 120 rotating the sound producing device to bring the sound damping means within ut without the path described by the means for striking or Vibrating the sound producing device.

3. A sound regulator for audible Icomprising 'two independent and pardted Vibrating :sound producing 7devices, sounfl damping means attached to a 'sactinn vi each of smmd proncingdemmns 330 for striking and Vibrating said separated sound producing devices and interposed between the same, means for adjusting the sound damping means on said sound producing devices so that said sound damping means are within or without the path of the means for striking or Vibrating said sound producing devices.

4. A sound regulator for audible signals comprising two independent and separated rotative Vibrating sound producing devices, sound damping means attached to a section of each of said sound producing devices, means for striking and Vibrating said separated sound producing devices and interposed between the same, means for rotating the sound producing devices to bring the sound damping means within or without the path described by the means for striking or Vibrating the sound producing devices.

5. A sound regulator for audible signals com prising two separated supports or standards, an independent and separate Vibrating sound producing device rotatably supported on each of said supports or standards, sound damping means permanently attached to :i section of each of said sound producing devices, means for striking and Vibrating said separated sound producing devices and interposed between the same, means connected with the sound producing devices for adjusting the sound damping means on said sound producing devices, so that said sound damping means are within or without the path described by the means for striking or Vibrating said sound producing devices.

6. A sound regulator for audible signals comprising two separated supports or standards, an independent and separate rotative Vibrating sound producing device on each of said standards or supports, sound damping means attached to a section on the outside of each of said sound producing devices, means for striking and Vibrating said separate sound producing devices and interposed between the same, means for oppositely rotating the sound producing devices on said standards or supports to bring the sound damping means within or without the path described by the means for striking or Vibrating the sound producing devices.

9. As a new article of manufacture a sound regulator for audible signals comprising two independent and separate Vibrating sound producing devices, each of which is adapted to be rotatably supported on a fiXed standard or support, sound damping means attached to a section of each of said sound producing devices, and a link or rod to which each of said sound producing devices is independently pivoted.

10. As a new article of manufacture a sound regulator for audible signals comprising two independent and separate Vibrating sound producing devices, each of which is adapted to be rotatably supported on a fixed standard or support, sound damping means attached to the outside of a section of each of said sound producing devices, each of said sound producing devices having a rod, one end of Which is free and its other end connected thereto, and a link pivotally connected to the free ends of the rods.

11. A sound regulator for audible signals comprising a Vibrating sound producing de- Vice, sound damping means attached to said sound producing device, means for striking and Vibrating said sound producing device, and means for Varying the relative position of said sound damping means and striking and Vibrating means with respect to each other so that the path described by the striking or Vibrating means is within or without the zone occupied by the sound damping means.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature.

WILLIAM KLIN E.

Coplcl ot this patent may be obtained for flve eents each, by adressng the Commissioner o! Patentl, Washington, I). 0. 

